Telephone-switch



Patented Aug. 13, 1895.

P. R. WHITNEY.

TELEPHONE SWITCH.

(No Model.)

Wi/haSsM fiw 6% W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK R. WHITNEY, OF LEWISTON, MAINE.

TELEPHONE-SWITCH.

PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,335, dated August13, 1895.

Application filed June 30, 1894. Serial No. (N0 m l- Y My inventionrelates to the class of switches which are used to connect the line-wirewith either the signaling-circuit or the talking-circuit.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which shall beinexpensive in construction and reliable in operation and shall have theleast possible liability toderangement or injurious wear. Such switchesare usually designed to act automatically, so as to insure that the linewill be at all timesproperly connected for the use which is to be madeof it.

The action of my device does not depend upon such an automatic ornecessary action of the mechanism itself, but employs instead acombination of parts by which the usual and habitual movements of theoperators hand shifts the switch, while a slightly-differentmanipulation removes the telephone without disturbing the switch ormoves the switch without disturbing the telephone.'

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of thedevice attached to the inside of the bottom of a box, which may alsocontain signaling devices. Only so much of the box is shown as isnecessary in explaining the construction of the device. Fig. 2 is a planof the combined telephone-holder and switch-arm. Fig. 3 is a detail ofFig. 2.

' Fig. 4 shows a modification of my device in which the switch-arm ispivoted at the farther end.

In the drawings, A is a box.

B is a piece which forms the arm of the switch and the principal part ofthe telephoneholder. I

b is the movable part of the telephoneholder; .9, the spring whichpresses inward against the telephone-handle.

O and D are the contact-plates of the switch.

L is the wire leading to the line.

M is the wire leading to the magnets or other signaling device; T, thewire leading to the receiving-telephone.

F is the pivot on which E swings, and H is a socket in which B may bepivoted.

For the most convenient working of my invention the stiffness of thespring 8, WlllGh presses in the jaw I), must be adjusted to exceed thefrictional resistance of the switcharm B upon the contact-plates G or D.This frictional resistance may be that caused by the weight of B or itmay be increased by adjusting the socket H so that B willbear withspring-pressure upon 0 and D.

When I wish to use my invention I press the handle R of thetelephone-receiver against the jaws B and I). They open and close aboutthe handle R; but before they open the piece B swings upon the pivot Fand moves its arm from O to D, thus putting the signaling apparatus inconnection with the line. Then when I wish to use the telephone I pullit out from between the spring-jaws B and b; but before they yield Bswings back upon its pivot F and carries its arm back from D to 0, thusputting the receiving-telephone in connection with the line.

As the working of the switch does not depend in any way upon thepresence of the telephone in the holder, it can be shifted back andforth as desired without replacingthe telephone.

When I wishto remove or replace the telephone without disturbing theswitch I press upon the telephone-holder in the opposite direction fromthat in which the vtelephone is moving with the thumb or a finger of thehand which grasps it, or, if desired, the pressure of the spring 3 maybe adjusted so closely to the frictional resistance that if thetelephone is inserted or withdrawn with a slight rolling motion or in anangular direction the switch will not be shifted.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire FRANK. R. WHITNEY.

Witnesses: C. M. PLUMMER, J. E. FLAGG. v

